Steady
by jemini.seveneight
Summary: Post Facing Demons; self indulgent fluff that we all want and deserve
1. Chapter 1

Brian kept his focus on her, using her as a fixed point to steady the anger and pain that swirled like a wind tunnel inside of him. His hands clasped tightly together, he tried to steady himself while his heart beat wildly. Words were spilling from deep inside into open court and everyone was watching with pained eyes. Except her; she saw him.

The more revelations that poured from his soul, the more their connection deepened. All of the reasons that she had found to break up with him, were the defenses he was using to hide his hurt. She felt waves of guilt roll over her but she steadied herself and pushed it down. She needed be strong; Brian needed her support now.

When court was adjourned she guided him outside. They stood in the cold with his testimony lingering in the frigid February air; each breath and each gust of wind cut into them. Brian leaned against a pillar and she kept a hand on his arm trying to steady him. It was a relief to Brian that they didn't need words. The soft buzz of her cell stopped and started. She ignored the cadence of someone else's needs and closed some distance between them. For a second he wondered if she was just cold, but she seemed to read his mind and slip her arm around his and give it a squeeze. He felt the fourth round of her cell phone between them and nodded for her to answer it.

"No, it can wait," she replied softly.

"Liv, it could be the nanny, just check."

She pulled her phone from her pocket with her free hand and nodded to affirm he was right. After several text exchanges, she hung her head for a second before taking a deep breath.

"Lucy isn't feeling well," she began, holding his eyes, keeping the distance closed, "Come home with me. I can put Noah to bed and we can talk or have a drink."

"Liv... I don't think that's a good idea," he replied as he started to pull away from her, "I'm fine, you go take care of your son."

"Please, Bri, come with me. I can't let you go home al-" she caught herself before she said 'alone,' remembering his laundry friend. He swallowed a smile down, knowing she was thinking of his neighbor. It wasn't that it bothered her, but he liked that it flustered her a bit. It knocked her off balance - a feeling he was painfully familiar with. He let her linger a moment longer before slowly nodding yes and letting her lead the way.


	2. Chapter 2

The sound of her key in the lock was oddly familiar, even comforting. She swung the door open and the warmth hit him; the smell of her favorite candle, the sound of Noah shuffling towards his mother, the sight her hand written grocery list on the coffee table. It was alot to take in, but he found himself adjusting to her chaos. He entered carefully, kicking his shoes off at the door, skirting around her and her son and settling in the livingroom. This was his moment of reprieve, to gather himself, while she busied herself with her son. It surprised him when Noah wiggled out of his mother's arms and approached him without hesitation.

"Hi! What's your name?"

"Hi Noah," Brian replied, squatting down so that he was eye level with the boy, "I'm Brian and I'm one of your mom's friends."

Olivia watched them, holding her breath, unsure of whether or not to step in and usher her son off to bed. But Brian was warm with him and echoed Noah's enthusiasm over a new toy. Noah tugged at his sleeve, urging him to come see the new toy in his room. Brian smiled and allowed Noah to pull him, giving Olivia a sly smile as he breezed past her. She gave them some time before she broke up the party and tucked Noah into bed. The young boy conned her into two bedtime stories and persuaded Brian to read one additional story.

When the little boy was tucked in, they settled onto the couch with a glass of wine and comfortable silence. Olivia had changed into a sweatshirt that Brian recognized as one he used to own. The sleeves pooled at her wrists and the body hung to her thighs. He tried not to stare, but he was never that good at averting his eyes from her beauty.

"Are you flaunting your victory?" She looked at him blankly, unsure of what he was asking her. He reached for her sleeve and fingered the soft, worn in fabric lightly. "I believe this once belonged to me," he smirked.

Her face softened and she smiled. "You told me I could keep it!" she retorted.

"You can," he laughed, "looks better on you."

She met his gaze, unsure of how to respond to his compliment, mouthing moving but no words came out. Brian stared at his hands, shocked that he had said it out loud. He knew she was waiting for him to say something and he knew that this was the moment. The moment he could get off his chest what he couldn't say when they were together.

"When we broke up, I know it was my fault," he began, "I couldn't settle down, I couldn't give you what you needed, what you deserved." He trailed off when he realized she turned to fully face him, one leg tucked beneath her. The gravity of the situation was heavy, the kind of weight that would've made the old Brian run. But this was the new Brian, the raw Brian, the real Brian. He felt exposed, he felt his cheeks flush and he gripped his knees to steady his thoughts.

"I wanted the same things that you did - kids and marriage. I knew I couldn't give you any of that without telling you all of this," his response was quiet and low. "It wasn't that I didn't trust you or that I didn't want to tell you. I was just afraid of laying more on you than you could handle. We had just gotten through such a horrible ordeal and I didn't want to burden you. I knew how bad you wanted to adopt Noah and I knew I have had told you about my past, you would've been so supportive. You would've chose me over him and I couldn't let you do that."

She knew it would've been easy for her to write off his confession as an excuse, but she knew that doing that was just her making an excuse for herself. The energy that it took for him to release those words to her radiated between them. He was electric and she could feel it. She allowed herself to soften and take a breath, keeping enough space between them, but leaning into the conversation.

"Thank you," she whispered, "I don't think I said that enough when we were together. I don't think I expressed my gratitude and appreciation for you."

"You don't have to thank me, Liv," he shook his head as he forced himself to meet her eyes, "I love you. That's what you do for someone you love."


	3. Chapter 3

He expected her to turn away or to redirect the course of their conversation, but the charge between them was calm and steady, constant and unwavering.

"You know that nothing you tell me about your past can make me feel anything different for you," she replied; her voice was tight and hoarse. "I still feel the same."

Brian smiled and let out a slow exhale, finally allowing himself to sink into the couch and relax. He shifted his weight to prop himself against the arm of the couch, so he could face her. Slowly he reached for her hand and as she noticed his movement she met him halfway and tightly grasped his palm. She gave it a slight squeeze before letting their joined hands rest on the couch.

"You know I'm always here for you, right?" her voice was hopeful with a slight apprehension.

"Yea, I know," his reply was soft, almost shy.

She picked up on it immediately, "Talk to me."

"I feel stupid," he whispered, "I underestimated you. I'm sorry."

"I don't understand," she implored him, her eyes searching for answers.

"I was afraid of being your victim. I should've known better."

She closed her eyes slowly, taking in his confession, letting it roll around in her mind. In another lifetime he would've been right, but her own history had changed her. When she opened her eyes the room was still, his head bowed forward, his eyes focused on their entwined hands. She let herself break free from the voice inside of her telling her to slow down and leaned in to press a soft kiss on his cheek. Olivia knew she had caught him off guard; his face changed from shock to confusion to a smile.

"You said once that I was never going to bare my soul to you," her voice was soft and she gave him a slight smile. "You were right... then. It's something I've been trying to work on... opening up. I hate it, but I'm working on it. There's a lot we need to talk about if this is going to work."

He saw her in the rarest of forms, but this form was new and uncharted; she was raw and unguarded. The way her lips curled into a small smile was for his benefit only, a peace offering to show she wasn't picking a fight; she was waiving her white flag. After all the years that had passed they were finally at ground zero, both exposed and unfiltered.

"We both made mistakes," he whispered into the still night air, "but it wasn't anyone's fault."

"I know," she replied slowly, "Where do we go from here?"

"We've lost alot of time, Liv," he replied and she nodded. "You're it for me, you know that. But I know we need to go slow and we have Noah to consider now. I'd never hurt either of you."

She used the opportunity to scoot closer to him and whisper a faint 'I know' against his shoulder. Brian leaned into her, sighing heavily, releasing the weight of the day from his lungs. They sat in comfortable silence, enjoying the steadiness of the solace that enveloped them. Moments turned into hours and before they knew it it was nearly midnight. Brian squeezed her knee gently and began to get up, but she grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"It's late," he whispered, "I should get going." She shook her head in disagreement and wrapped herself around his arm; a tactic she reserved for rare occasions when she was especially tired. Her exhaustion often gave way to vulnerability, giving him a rare glimpse at her softer side. Brian tried to hide a smirk as he let her pull him back onto the couch. He took a minute to pause and savor the moment of closeness, the feeling weighing heavy on his heart. It had been so long since he had felt this content that he allowed himself to lean into her.

"Olivia..."

"Full name, I must be in trouble," she whispered against his shoulder. She pulled back to peek at his reaction. Brian had a knowing smile on his face and she immediately knew she was busted; still she kept her poker face waiting to see what he would say. He fidgeted and sighed and she recognized the little clues that he was working up to telling her something big. She tried to untangle herself from him, wanting to give him space to work out whatever was on his mind, but he pulled her back towards him quickly.

"No, no it's nothing bad," he muttered as she allowed herself to lean back into him, "Stay."

"Bri, talk to me."

"I don't want to fuck this up," he admitted, "It's not just us, it's Noah too."

She lost her poker face at the mention of her son. His words struck a chord in her with how serious he was about her; he knew her son came first before anything else and it made her heart ache for him.

"We won't fuck this up, we're different people than we were all those years ago," she stopped when he gave her a look and smiled, knowing that they had had this conversation before.

"I know, Liv." He glanced at as watch and met her eyes, "It's late."

"I know," she replied, "Come over for breakfast? I promised Noah we would have pancakes and go to the playground tomorrow."

"Only if you put chocolate chips in them, " he smirked.

"I can do that," she whispered. She felt him laugh to himself and move to get up again. This time she allowed him to get up, opting to follow his lead and stand beside him. The tension was palpable, the air buzzing with electricity around them. He leaned kissed her forehead softly before leaning his forehead against hers. She smiled and waited for him to make the next move. He lifted his hand to touch her hair, but quickly let fall back to her waist remembering he couldn't touch her hair anymore. Olivia placed her hand over his and slowly brought it up her face, she kissed the inside of his palm and tucked his hand against her hair and nodded. The time it had taken them to get to this point and the trust she had in him made his heart feel like it was going to burst. When he leaned in to kiss her, it was soft and sweet and he felt her body soften and fall into his.


	4. Chapter 4

_hi. i made a mistake. i skipped a chapter. i apologize for the inhumanity of my actions. _

xxx

It was the first night of restful sleep that he had gotten in years. He awoke with the sun and clumsily looked at his phone for the time. 6:57 am. The idea of texting her floated around his groggy mind though he knew it was a bit early. There had been times when they had texted without regard for the time of day, but he knew one night's confessions hadn't propelled them back to that point. Still there had been raw, undeniable feelings laid out for each other. Brian decided it was best to get up and get ready for the day. When he got out of the shower, he was surprised to see her name appear on his lock screen.

_Hi._

_Hi._

_Coffee black, still? _

_With a side of you._

_Pancakes in 30, Cassidy._

He felt strangely nervous as he knocked on her door. Olivia was hurried as she opened the door, glancing over her shoulder to see if Noah had followed her out of curiosity. When she confirmed the coast was clear, she reached for his hand to pull him inside. She quickly gave him a soft kiss, grinning widely as she nodded to the other room when she pulled back. He felt himself relax as she welcomed him back into her home.

"Noah, you remember Brian, right?"

As the words left her mouth Noah had already grabbed a toy in each hand and was running full speed to Brian to show him. Brian dropped down to his knees and carefully looked over the toys and asked which one he could play with. Olivia felt her heart swell in her chest at the look of excitement on her son's face. She let her fingers graze the back of Brian's head as she threw him a grateful smile.

By the time Olivia had made enough pancakes for breakfast, Brian was completely enthralled with the stories Noah was telling him about his toys. She had to gently interrupt their make believe to remind them that breakfast was ready. Noah ran to the table calling over his should for Brian to come sit next to him. Olivia smiled as she reached out a hand to help him up from the floor. He accepted her hand and held on longer than necessary, giving her hand a soft squeeze before he let go.

Olivia was relieved that Noah chattered on and gave her a moment to try and slow her thoughts. Her mind felt like a mess of emotions watching Noah and Brian together. She couldn't believe how quickly Noah had become enthralled with Brian. Noah was asking him rapid fire questions about his job, his apartment, his life and Brian just laughed and answered his questions.

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

Her son's question pulled her thoughts and back to reality with little time to recover.

"Noah –" she began.

"It's okay, Liv," he replied slowly turning his attention back to her son, "I don't have a girlfriend, buddy."

"My mom should be your girlfriend, she's really pretty," he replied matter of factly. Olivia's face drained of color and then quickly turned a vibrant shade of red as she struggled to find the words to redirect this conversation.

"Yea, she is really pretty," he agreed with a smirk, "Did you know that your mom used to be my girlfriend a long time ago?"

"You're bad, you know that?" she mumbled as she tried to hide a grin. He always seemed to have this way of being so simple and genuine that left her speechless.

"Really?" Noah's interest was piqued. "How come she's not your girlfriend anymore?"

"It's complicated, buddy," he replied with a sigh, "but maybe you can help me win her back."

"Okay, I can help you," the child replied innocently. Noah leaned over and whispered something in Brian's ear that made him smile broadly as he nodded in agreement at the secret sentiment.

"Maybe you can start with the dishes while I go take a shower," she smirked back at the boys sitting across from her.

"I think we can handle that," Brian replied.


	5. Chapter 5

_Hey, we still on for sledding in the park with the kids?_

Olivia had forgotten that she had asked Amanda and her daughters to join them for sledding in the park. She unlocked her phone to call Amanda, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, trying to calm her nerves.

"Hey Liv."

"Hey, I have to tell you something," she began, "After the trial Brian came over and we talked."

"And?" Amanda's tone was soft, but pressing.

"And it was good," she replied.

"And?" Amanda wasn't going to let her off easy.

"And we're taking things slowly."

"Are you going to make me drag this out of you, Liv? Don't make me say 'and' again," she laughed.

"I just thought I should tell you because the kids…," Olivia trailed off for a minute, but Amanda held her silence and waited. "and I love him," she murmured.

"That's all I needed to know, Liv. I trust you, you know that."

"Thanks, Amanda. I trust you too, I just want to be honest with you, especially when it affects the kids," she replied, "Noah is obsessed with him already."

x

Their initial meeting in the park had been familiar yet slightly awkward. Amanda broke the ice by introducing Brian to her daughters. He joined Noah and Jessie and set up sleds for them. When they settled in he asked if they wanted a push to which they screeched an excited 'yes.' Olivia sat on a nearby bench with Amanda and Billie to watch the kids. She laughed as both kids insisted Brian get on the sled and they did their best to push him towards the hill.

"He's certainly good with them," Amanda commented as she shifted the baby on her lap.

"It's certainly a new side of Cassidy," she agreed, "I can't believe after everything," she paused and it suddenly struck her, the words she couldn't say, were what had broken them up apart in the first place. She knew Amanda was watching her, waiting for her to finish; this is what she liked about Amanda – that she could read people so well, she knew when to hold back and when to push forward.

"I can't believe after all these years and surviving my assault that he's back in my life again," she finally spoke the words and looked Amanda in the eye.

"What was young Cassidy like when he was at SVU?" Amanda asked, giving Olivia an out to a conversation she didn't want to speak too much about.

"He was adorable," she grinned, "We sort of had a thing back then too."

"So this is round three?! How did I miss this?" Amanda was wide eyed and shocked, "Tell me more about THAT!"

"He was great and I was a bitch! I was young and thought I knew everything," she explained as Brian approached them.

"They got bored with me already, they want their moms to go for a ride with them," he explained as he sat down next to them, "What are you two gossiping about?"

"You!" Olivia told him, grinning ear to ear.

"You're telling her about my charm, intelligence, and good looks, right?"

"In your dreams, Cassidy," Amanda joked while bouncing Billie in her lap, "Do you think you can handle holding this munchkin for a few?"

"I haven't held a baby since my niece was born twenty years ago," he admitted, "but I should probably learn." He threw Olivia a quick glance to gage her reaction to which she returned a raised eyebrow.

"Okay, Cassidy, here you go," she began as she set the baby in his lap, trying to ignore the private exchange of glances, "She can hold her head up on her own but she's still a little unsteady so watch her."

"I got her," he replied and looked to Rollins for approval. She smiled at her daughter, nodding and reassuring Brian that he was doing fine.

x

There were moments that Olivia catalogued in her memory over the following weeks; the way he always spent time with Noah, the way he always said goodnight, the way he held her hand when they spoke of their assaults in the darkness, the way he spoke about her to his mother on the phone, and the way he whispered 'I love you' before leaving.

Brian had noticed the small ways in which she had evolved since they had last been together. She let her guard down with him, she left work on time most days, and she was more affectionate than he had known her to be.

She had approached Amanda about a mutual exchange of babysitting services so they could each have the night off. Amanda had happily accepted the offer, mentioning she had wanted to catch a concert in a few weeks with Al. Noah had excitedly packed a bag, thrilled with the idea of spending the night eating junk food with his friends.

Brian had gotten home not long after she had returned from Amanda's and instantly he could sense something was off.

"Hi," she greeted him, her voice low and her hands fidgeting with the end of her shirt. He was surprised to find her in this mood; distracted, anxious, and slightly agitated.

"Hey," he replied as he set his bag down and toed his shoes off. Her back was to him as she made her way back to the kitchen. "You wanna stay in for dinner?" asked cautiously.

"Yes," she responded quickly and he sensed a note of relief in her voice. This was once again uncharted territory; he unsure whether to ask her what was wrong or let her have space.

"It's your turn to pick," he said as he opened the kitchen drawer that contained take out menus.

She turned suddenly and rushed towards him, burying her face in his neck and wrapping her arms around his waist. Brian wrapped an arm around her waist and held her head against him. The streets were louder than usual tonight and every honk or siren seemed to make her flinch. It was a semi-familiar dance they had done in a past life. Her nightmares had always poured over into the next day and saturated the day with the after effects of her terror.

"You're safe, it's okay," he whispered into her hair.

"I'm glad you're here," she whispered when she finally pulled back. "I had nightmares last night."

"I know, come on, let's sit," he replied as he led her towards the couch. He was surprised when she waited for him to sit and then settled in against him.

"They're always the same," she explained, "He's torturing me and taunting me and I'm helpless."

"Helpless is the last word I'd use to describe you," he offered as he rubbed small circles across her back.

"Sorry to kill our 'finally alone' plans."

"You have nothing to be sorry for and last time I checked we are alone," he replied and kissed the top of her head.

"It might always be like this," she said, her shaking a little, "It's been five years and I still have these days. It easier with Noah, he distracts me, keeps me busy."

"I can distract you too," he winked and she smiled a little. "Tell me what you need, Liv. That was the hardest part for me – not knowing what you needed. I was so afraid to do the wrong thing and trigger you."

"I was so stubborn and I hurt myself and everyone around me, becoming a mother taught me to ask for and accept help," she replied as she snuggled in and held onto him a bit tighter, "This helps, just being here and feeling safe."

"Love you," he whispered as he slowly ran a hand through her hair, toying with the ends a bit. He felt her relax a bit as some of the days' tension began to fade.

"I missed this, playing with your hair," he admitted. It was a bold move, that much he knew was true. They had never spoken of her self-inflicted haircut or she had never given reason as to why her hair was off limits. What had been something playful and comforting had become something terrifying and traumatizing for both of them.

"Me too," she replied, "It wasn't so much about him as it was about me trying to gain control," she trailed off and was quiet for a moment, "but he did tug me by my hair and I just wanted it gone… like cutting it off would cut him out of my mind."

She felt him release a handful of her hair and she began to regret her admission, fearing what she always feared: the truth, the details would be too much for him.

"You would tell me if you were uncomfortable, right?"

She lifted her head from his chest to look him in the eyes.

"Yes, I promise… but don't stop, I miss that," she smiled.


	6. Chapter 6

It had been a trying task to explain Brian's sleepovers to her son. Dating was a tricky concept to explain to a child, but she had weighed the pros and cons and Brian was certainly a pro and offered few cons. She was surprised at the number of times Noah asked if Brian could read him a story and the number of times Brian asked if he could tuck Noah in. They were falling into routines and comfortable rhythms.

They sat at opposite ends of the couch facing each other with paperwork sprawled between them. Olivia watched as Brian dug through a pile of paperwork with a pen clenched between his front teeth.

"Hey, can I tell you something," she asked hesitantly.

"Sure, what's up?" he asked, still flipping through papers. She leaned across the couch and grabbed his hand, giving it a slight squeeze. He dropped the pen from his mouth and smiled and squeezed her hand back, realizing she was trying to have a serious conversation.

"Noah's little league team starts up in a few weeks," she explained, her voice low and soft.

"You didn't want to tell me, did you?"

"No," she admitted, "I'm starting to understand what you went through with me after…" she trailed off and waved her hand as if to motion towards the past, "How hard it is to navigate talking about it."

"It's okay, Liv," he replied, "Someone's shrink told me it was good to talk about it."

He winked at her and she smiled a little.

"Would you want to go to one of his games?"

"Yea, I think it would be good for me. You know who it would be really good for?"

"Who?"

"My mom has been bugging me to bring you guys over. I think she'd like to make some happy memories at little league."

"So your mom knows that we're back together," she smirked.

"Yeah and she won't get off my case about you two," he scoffed.

"I miss your mom," she admitted, "Did she ever tell you about the afternoon she sat with me?"

"No," he looked confused.

"I asked her not to tell you, stubborn as always. She dropped by your old apartment and I was a mess. She ran me a bath, changed some of my bandages, helped me make some lunch," she smiled sadly, "Why don't you ask her to come over for dinner and to meet Noah?"

"She'd really love that," he replied, his voice cracking slightly.

Olivia leaned over their paperwork and kissed him softly. He pulled her closer, disregarding the stacks of paper between them, eliciting a giggle as she clumsily slid across the couch.

"Call your mom and invite her," she mumbled between kisses.

"Stop talking about my mom while you're in my lap," he pleaded as she erupted into laughter, "You're killin me here, Liv."

"Sorry, sorry," she giggled as she pressed herself against him.

x

Brian's mom came by for dinner on a Thursday evening in April when the weather had an unusual spike in temperature. Olivia was buzzing around the apartment, cleaning and re-cleaning while occasionally checking on dinner. The apartment appeared spotless to him, but she kept finding things to pick at while simultaneously telling him she was fine.

"Liv, what's up with you today?" he asked as he gently stepped between her and the unseen dirt.

"I don't want her to think I'm still a mess," she admitted flatly, giving up any hope of hiding her insecurities.

"She does not think that," he replied, redirecting her to the kitchen, where he poured her a glass of wine. "Relax, Liv, she won't even notice the house after she meets Noah."

"He is cute," she admitted with a sly grin.

The doorbell rang and Brian went to answer to the door with Noah close behind.

"Hi Mom," he said as he took her bag and gave her a hug. Olivia came and stood behind her son, using him as her armor in case she needed a distraction.

"Hi Brian," she replied as she hugged her son quickly before turning to Olivia and Noah, "Olivia, I have missed you!" she was animated and warm as she hugged Olivia, holding on for a second longer than necessary and kissing her cheek.

"And you must be Noah," she said with amazement as she knelt down.

"Noah, this is Mrs. Cassidy," Olivia replied as she knelt down to make sure Noah was comfortable.

"Hi Noah, you can call me Mary," she replied warmly. Noah looked to his mother for approval, she grinned and nodded.

"Do you want to see my room?!" he asked and Mary nodded with just as much enthusiasm, she glanced back at her son and his girlfriend and smiled before she followed Noah to his room. Olivia paused for a minute to steal a quiet moment alone with Brian; she wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed a kiss against his cheek.

"Your mom is great," she whispered and he nodded in agreement.

The night was longer than they expected; they sat around the living room after dinner was over and the dishes were done, laughing and drinking wine. Noah asked Mary questions about what Brian was like when he was his age and Mary was all too happy to divulge embarrassing childhood stories. Olivia watched as Brian pretended to be outraged at his mother's stories so that Noah would giggle harder. Sometimes she was sure that Brian was happier to see Noah than her. It made sense though; Noah was a special kid with an ability to adapt to his environment and always seemed to make the best of things.

When it was over an hour past bedtime, Olivia finally broke up the party and asked Noah to go get ready for bed. His face fell but he obeyed his mother's instructions. Mary tried to cheer him up by saying she'd come in and say goodnight after his mother read to him. He perked up at the arrangement and insisted that Mary read him a bedtime story too. She happily obliged and quite possibly exuded more excitement than Noah. Olivia began to realize it wasn't the wine that made her relax, it was this unexpected family that was coming together.

"Your mom is kind of great," she said to Brian as they listened to her read to Noah.

"It runs in the family," he smirked as he reached for her hand.


	7. Chapter 7

"Liv, wake up," he urged.

She groaned and tried to pull him back into bed with her muttering something about the sun not being up. Brian tried not to laugh at the sight of her trying desperately to pull the blankets back over her head. He climbed into bed and sat against the headboard, reaching over and pulling the blanket off her head. The fight for sleep was useless, so she rolled over and snuggled against him, hoping it would entice him to lay back down.

"I want to get to the game early so we can get good seats and maybe practice a few swings with Noah," he protested, knowing she couldn't resist her son.

"You play dirty," she mumbled as she climbed across him and headed towards the bathroom.

"Lieutenant don't think I don't know what you were doing with your hands back there," he retorted as he followed her towards the sink. She had already begun brushing her teeth and met his eyes in the mirror, giving him an innocent shrug. Brian wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed the back of her neck as she continued to brush her teeth.

"You had your opportunity," she replied as she wiggled free to rinse her mouth, "That ship has sailed, buddy. We have to get to the cold, damp park to practice."

She crossed the bathroom to turn the shower on as he watched his opportunity slip away. This wasn't going to end in his favor – that he knew for sure. She stripped her pajamas off, gave him a smile and slipped behind the shower curtain.

"Livvvv," he whined.

"Love you," she replied cheerfully.

x

Olivia watched from the bleachers as Brian pitched to Noah and guided him on how to hit the ball. They had both practically dragged her to the park and gotten impatient with her when she asked to stop at Starbucks on the way. When they got to the park they immediately instructed her where to sit and what seats to save before running onto the field.

Her heart felt a tiny twinge of sadness that Noah was more excited to show Brian his little league skills. It was silly and it was part of Noah growing up, but it still tugged at her. She reasoned that it was good for him to have a positive male role model and it was good for Brian to be free and act like a kid again. He certainly deserved that time back.

Mary was waiting on the bleachers with an extra blanket folded up beside her. She waved to her as she made her way over to sit beside her.

"Hi Liv, brought some extra blankets for you guys," she greeted. Olivia smiled and gave her a quick hug before sitting down.

"Thanks, Mary, that was thoughtful of you," she replied as she covered her legs with the extra blanket.

"My son texted me before the sun had even risen this morning!"

"Well if it makes you feel better, he dragged me out of bed before the sun came up too," she shared a smile with the older woman, "I'm glad you're here, Mary."

"Me too, Liv," she responded, her voice a little shaky. Olivia wrapped an arm around her and gave her a squeeze. Mary smiled sadly at her and took a couple deep breaths.

"Your son is pretty amazing," Olivia stated quietly as Mary regained her composure.

"I know it's none of my business, but I'm happy things worked between you two," she replied quietly.

"Certainly took us long enough," she joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"You've always been my favorite, Olivia. Hell, you're the only one I've actually met!"

The statement caught Olivia off-guard; she hadn't considered the other women that Brian had dated and she certainly had never considered whether or not he had introduced them to his family. The sentiment tugged at her heart a little and she silently chided herself for being so emotional.

x

When the game began, Brian paid close attention to Noah every time he was up to bat or on the field. To Olivia's surprise he was calm and helpful, offering encouragement and cheering louder than her at times. She leaned into him and rested a hand on his leg, he smiled at her affection and wrapped an arm around her. It was comforting to Brian to have the connection back where words weren't needed and the silence was comforting.

Noah ran to the bleachers as soon as the game ended, excitedly chattering a mile a minute about catching a pop fly ball. Though little league didn't keep score, her son was enthralled with the game. She told him how proud she was and asked where he wanted to go for a celebratory lunch. Noah was quick to answer affirmatively that he wanted to go to lunch.

"Can Mary come too?" he asked.

"Of course, sweet boy," she replied, "Why don't you ask her if she's free?"

"Mary can you come to lunch with us?" he asked.

"I would love to go to lunch," she smiled.

"Come on buddy, let's get your stuff together," Brian guided him as he grabbed his bag off the ground and followed him towards the dugout. When they returned, Brian offered his arm to his mother and they fell into conversation while Olivia glanced over at Noah. Her son had become pretty enthralled with Brian and she sometimes felt a tiny pang of jealousy, but she knew that having a positive male role model in his life was key at his age. She was pleasantly surprised when Noah grabbed her hand as they made their way to the restaurant.

x

"I'm too tired," she mumbled when she felt Brian's hand caress her side in the dark.

"I'm not trying to make moves, I'm trying to cuddle Lieutenant," he chuckled into the darkness.

"I'm sorry that was bitchy, you've been wonderful today," she replied as she pulled his arm around her and spooned up against him.

"To be fair I did wake you up before dawn, so maybe I should've seen that coming," he smiled and kissed the back of her head.

"Let's go out this weekend, just us, on a real date night," she offered.

"Yea?" he asked.

"Yea, doesn't have to be fancy, just get out of the house and spend some time together," she responded, "Maybe your mom could come over and watch Noah."

"She'd be ecstatic, Liv," he replied.

"Love you," she said as her sleep filled her voice.

"Love you too."


	8. Chapter 8

Brian arrived home later than usual on a Friday evening. It had been a long stressful week investigating a case of child molestation for the DA's office. The case had hit him harder than he expected and each night that he went back to Olivia's apartment where she pulled him close and held on tight. The apartment was dim, lit only by the glow of Finding Nemo on the television. Noah was snuggled up to Olivia with his favorite blanket. She caught his eye as he slipped off his jacket and tie and motioned for him to join them. It always amazed him at how well she could read him. He climbed onto the couch beside her and let her hold him while he buried his face in her shoulder.

He had nearly fallen asleep to the sounds of talking fish and Olivia's heart beating in his ear when Noah climbed over her lap to give him a hug. He hugged the child back, holding on and praying that God watch over him and protect him. 

"Sorry I missed dinner, buddy," Brian finally spoke as Noah settled himself between him and Olivia.

"That's okay, I helped Mama with the dishes," he replied.

"I think it's time to say goodnight to Brian," Olivia urged him as his eyes began to droop.

"Night, Bri," he said as he hugged Brian again.

"Goodnight, buddy," he smiled and kissed the top of his head.

When Olivia returned from tucking Noah in she was also dressed for bed. He smiled and pulled her down onto his lap, cradling her close for a few quiet moments.

"Some Friday night, huh?" he asked.

"I'll take this any night of the week," she whispered as she tightened her grip, "You want to talk about it?"

"Not really, just want to sit here with you if that's okay," he replied as he traced nonsensical patterns across her thigh.

"Okay," she whispered as she rested her head on his shoulder and hugged his body close to hers.

"We're doing good, right? You would tell me if this was moving too fast?" His words cut through the silence like a knife and though she hated to admit, she felt them like a sharp pain in her chest. She pulled back from his embrace, words on the tip of her tongue to inquire how he could ask such a thing. But then she saw it – the look of fear in his eyes and she immediately bit her tongue.

"I think we're doing pretty great, Bri, don't you?"

"Yea," he paused, "Just checking. I know you like your space and I've been staying here a lot and –"

"I like you in my space," she interrupted him, giving him a wink and leaning back into his embrace. He smiled a little at her innuendo.

"I love you, Olivia," he replied.

"You never call me Olivia. It's weird," she admitted, "It feels like a precursor to bad news."

"No bad news," he smiled, a genuine smile, not just a smile for her benefit.

"I love you too, Cassidy," she smirked.

"Oh, it's like that now?" he remarked as he tickled her side. She giggled and grabbed his wrist, holding it away from her. His lips found hers and she released his hand so she could snake her arms around his neck. His hands found her hips and pulled her closer. She adjusted their awkward position to straddle him and deepen the kiss. Eventually he pulled away and she groaned.

"What are you doing?" she pouted.

"Your son is right there," he jerked his thumb towards Noah's door to make his point.

"Didn't we make a rule about not talking about family members when I'm in your lap?" she huffed as she attempted to get up. He smirked and grabbed her waist to pull her back.

"We did… sorry... don't leave though!"

"Don't start something you don't intend to finish," she continued to pout.

"Oh I intend to for us to finish," he smirked. He followed her lead as she got up and led the way to the bedroom.

x

"What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Why are you doing my laundry," she replied, slightly concerned for any light-colored clothing she owned.

"I'm doing _our_," he motioned to the large pile of clothes in front of him, "laundry."

"Okay…why?"

"Because Liv, my clothes are spread across this city and I can't find any socks and this morning you were complaining about not being able to find the 'right jeans' - whatever that means. Our laundry situation has become complete chaos. I just want socks," he ranted.

She stood silently for a minute, gathering her thoughts and choosing her words carefully. He was doing his best to sort their clothes in piles of varying colors, but she a red shirt beneath her white clothes caught her eye. It suddenly seemed so simple and rather stupid that it had taken her this long to acknowledge that he was putting in all of the effort when it came to staying over at her place. She couldn't take Noah from his home and she knew he would never expect that.

"Why don't you move in?"

His head snapped up and she could tell she had caught him off guard. She reached for his hand as she attempted to climb over the mountain of laundry. They were silent for a minute, both staring at the other and considering Olivia's offer.

"If you don't –"

"Hey, I didn't say that," he interrupted as she released his hand. Her head was telling her to backtrack and make a beeline from the valley of dirty clothes but she stayed because it was Brian. He was the only man she had ever stopped running from.

"Liv, I want you forever," he replied, his voice hitching slightly, "but I don't want you to make life changing decisions because I'm being an asshole over some socks."

"You're not being an asshole. You're just cranky," she smiled. He caught her hand that had fallen to her side and held it between his hands.

"What about Noah? Wouldn't that confuse him if I move all of my junk in here?"

"No, Bri, he would be over the moon if you lived with us. He loves you," she replied, "I love you too."

"Do you want to get married?" He blurted it out before he could think twice. "I'm not asking you right now, I'm just asking if that's where you see us in the future. God, Liv, I am horrible at this. I'm sorry."

"Stop," she whispered as she stepped closer to him, "I've been thinking about you moving in for a while now. I do want to marry you, Bri. I don't think we're there yet, but I think it's time for us to take the next step."

"You're right… you're always right," he smiled and sighed as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "I think we should probably run this by the boss first," he smirked as he nodded towards Noah's bedroom.

"Pretty sure he's going to green light this operation," she replied as she leaned into his embrace.

"Hey," he whispered, "I love you."

"I love you too… Do me a favor though?"

"Yea?"

"You can take the trash out, I'll handle the laundry. I like my whites the way they are," she smirked.


	9. Chapter 9

_this is the last of what I have written (sort of). to be honest I'm annoyed that people comment to whine about formatting issues (which I've fixed immediately) and then don't comment with anything constructive regarding the story. you guys suck and make me want to give up out of spite. I do not apologize for the inhumanity of that statement. _

x

Olivia felt strange in Brian's apartment, she had only ever been there once before when laundry girl showed up. She glanced cautiously around the hallways as they made their way upstairs to begin packing Brian's belongings. He noticed she seemed distant and slightly on edge, but he couldn't quite figure out why. They assembled boxes and began looking through his kitchen cabinets in a silence that fell just outside the bounds of comfortable.

"Are you having second thoughts," Brian broke the silence.

"No," she replied quickly, "Not at all."

"Just checking," he assured her.

She took off the zip-up sweatshirt she had thrown on, revealing an old Sienna College t-shirt. They were in the cold and hot weather pattern that was all too familiar to New Yorkers; cold in the morning and sweltering by lunch time. Brian smiled and reached out to push a loose piece of hair out of her face. She startled slightly but tried to cover and hide her nerves.

"Liv, what's up? Why are you so on edge?" He set down a box and sat on the counter.

"Did you hook up with laundry girl?" she asked bluntly. It was the last question he expected from her and his surprise was evident.

"Yes," he responded honestly. She suddenly felt stupid for bringing it up at all – of course he had been with other women - she had been with other men.

"Sorry," she exhaled, "I shouldn't have said anything, that was stupid."

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," she replied quietly, "Did you break up with her for me?" She hated that she couldn't stop herself from asking.

"Olivia, I'd break up with Chrissy Teigen for you," he smirked. She smiled despite herself and made her way to stand between his legs.

"I'm sorry… I don't know what came over me. I was… jealous," she admitted.

"I love you, Liv," he replied as he let his arms drape over her shoulders in front of him.

"I'm sorry I brought it up," she said as she buried her face in her hands.

"I was pretty jealous when I heard about you and Tucker," the words had barely left his mouth and she as halfway across the kitchen pretending to busy herself with packing. "Liv, come on."

Truthfully it had felt like a knife straight to his heart when he heard about her relationship with Tucker. When his pride had recovered, he turned to anger, and then regret. The emotions were intensified by sixteen-hour work days and alcohol fueled evenings. At that point in his life he had wanted to simply forget everything, especially the thought of Tucker touching the love of his life.

"I'm not upset, I'm just being honest," he began as he lifted himself off the counter, "I think we can both agree that we have a pretty intense connection and the time we spent with other people is something neither of us can stomach too well."

She considered this and realized he was right; when he had been with Carissa she had felt the same raging jealousy. The space between them started to weigh heavily on her; it wasn't like her to run anymore and she regretted it. Brian crossed the room and held out a hand to her; she smiled shyly and took his hand.

"I feel ridiculous," she confided as he pulled her against him, "You're right though."

"It's all good, Liv," he smiled as he lifted her chin to kiss her lips.

"If you don't stop we are never going to finish packing," she smiled as he kissed his way down her neck.

"Ughhhh, you're a buzzkill," he whined as he released her.

They continued packing in comfortable silence, occasionally discussing whether something was to keep or to donate. Olivia was content to go with the flow and said nothing when she saw that his t-shirt collection had more than doubled since they had last lived together. He opened a drawer to reveal a vast collection of socks and tossed a few at her.

"I'm glad all my socks will be in one place," he laughed.

"I'm glad they'll be next to my socks," she replied with a wink.

x

"Hey, you awake," he whispered into the darkness. He felt her turn and roll onto her back beside him, her hand finding his beneath the sheets.

"Hi," she whispered back. It was the nights when the world was still that they had laid out their confessions, disclosing past events and future fears. They gave each other space to navigate the unfamiliar path of healing, but held hands to keep themselves grounded. Brian turned on his side to face her, keeping his fingers intermingled with hers.

"I've just been thinking a lot about us," he paused, squinting into the blackness, trying to make out her expression, "We've been talking about marriage and what the future looks like for us, but we haven't really talked about Noah."

"What about him," she asked, oblivious to whatever it was he was working up the nerve to say.

"If we got married, that would make me his step father, right?" He could make out her profile in the darkness and saw her nod. "What if I wanted more than that?"

"What do you mean?" It was her turn to roll onto her side to face him. The room was blanketed in darkness; she could barely see his face but she could feel his eyes on her.

"What if I wanted to adopt him?"

Brian felt her freeze and heard her breath hitch in her throat. His heart was paused, waiting for her to speak, to tell him he was crazy, that it wasn't a good idea. The thought occurred to him that he had made a mistake, that he was unraveling all the work they had put into their relationship. It took her hand on his chest to pull him from the dizzying thoughts in his mind.

"I would love nothing more than for you to be Noah's father," she replied and he realized she was opening crying. He reached out and pulled her against him, finding her lips in the darkness and kissing her. She kissed him back mumbling an 'I love you' against his mouth.

"I was thinking about us getting married," she said, pulling away slightly, "and you know I've never wanted to change my name, but if Noah wants to, I'd change our names to Cassidy. You're a good man, Bri."

He laughed into the darkness as he pulled her back against him and whispered, "Are you trying to make me cry too?" She smiled but she could feel his tears against her cheek so she wrapped herself around him, holding on tightly.

x

"Hey Noah, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, Mama," he replied through a mouthful of cereal.

"So you understand that Brian and I love each other very much, right?"

"Yea," he replied, not paying much attention to Olivia's comments.

"Sometimes when people love each they decide to get married," she explained. Noah's interests were piqued.

"Are you going to marry Brian?" he asked.

"Well, I wanted to talk to you about it first and see how you felt about it," she explained.

"I like Brian," he replied as he eyed the cereal box, "Does that make him my dad if you marry him?"

"Do you want Brian to be your dad?" She held her breath, not intending for this conversation to get too deep.

He put his spoon back into the cereal bowl and pushed it aside. Noah suddenly looked much older than six, he was thoughtful and poised when he finally replied, "Yes, I love Brian. I know he's not my real dad but he does everything my friend's dad's do with them."

"Well Noah, he could be your real dad if you wanted him to be. You know how I adopted you? Brian could adopt you too." She paused as she tried to assess his comprehension of the situation. It was a lot for a six year old to take in, but his answers were pure and innocent – Brian was the closest thing to a father he had known.

"Really?" He was out of his seat and around the table to her side, excitedly tapping his hands on her knees.

"Well, I think we should all talk more tonight when Brian's home. I think it might be nice if you told him what you told me," she replied as she pulled Noah onto her lap. He giggled and nodded with excitement as he hugged his mother.


	10. Chapter 10

When Brian arrived home, Noah was at his side immediately tugging at his arm and telling him Olivia had ordered pizza. Though he was tired and spent from a trying day in the DA's office, he obliged Noah's tug and followed him to the dining room. He caught a glimpse of Olivia in the kitchen, clad in his sweatpants and old NYPD t-shirt. She caught his eye and smiled and instantly he felt more at ease.

"Sorry, I didn't feel like cooking and I thought maybe we could have pizza and movie night," she explained as she entered the dining area. He grabbed her hand as she neared and pulled her in for a quick kiss.

"This looks great, Liv, let me just go change out of my work clothes," he replied as he kissed her again.

"You okay?" she asked, noticing he was still holding onto her hand rather tightly.

"Long day, that's all. Be right back," he replied as he dropped her hand and kissed her cheek.

When Brian returned to sit at the table, Noah immediately sat in the chair next to him with a wide grin. Olivia sat back and studied them, watching as whatever had brought Brian down at work was slowly fading as Noah told him about school as they listened and ate.

"Oh and this morning Mama said that you might get married," he finished out his recounting of his day.

Brian raised his eyebrows at her and she shrugged her shoulders innocently.

"Would it be okay with you if I married your Mama?" he countered.

"Yes!" Noah bounced in his chair with excitement.

"Didn't you want to ask Brian something," Olivia prodded him.

"After you get married, will you be my dad?" Noah's statement was blunt in a way only a child could muster.

Brian felt the prick of tears and all at once he could hardly hear or think or speak.

"I would love to be your dad," he managed to get out as pulled Noah into a hug. He held him tight until the little boy finally wiggled free, still oblivious to the emotion that hung in the room. Olivia was teary eyed as she reached for this hand across the table and squeezed it.

x

Between busy schedules they had finally found a Saturday night to go out alone. Mary had come over to watch Noah and Olivia had a sense of calm that he was in good hands. They went to their neighborhood dive bar, opting for the comfort of a familiar place with happy memories. A band played covers of songs from their youth in the back that they occasionally exchanged smiles over. They sat at the far end of the bar, away from the few other patrons that had wandered in to see the band.

"It feels good to be out of the house and alone with you," she said leaning in to kiss his cheek and then wipe the remnants of her lipstick away.

"Is it weird that I feel torn between how good it feels to be alone with and how much I look forward to going home to be with Noah?"

"I think that feeling is called parenthood," she whispered in his ear and kissed his neck before pulling back to gage his reaction. He smiled and rested a hand on her thigh under the bar, giving it a slight squeeze.

"Are you ready?" he asked quietly. She gave him a confused glance but he tilted his head and raised his eyebrows, quickly breaking down her façade and non-verbally calling her bluff. It wasn't a secret that they had marriage card on the table, it just always seemed to be passed back and forth or buried under the daily challenges that life threw their way.

"Yea, I'm ready," she admitted, her eyes shining in the dimly lit bar.

"Finally," he joked, "Do you remember when we used to come here years ago?

"I remember the first time we met here after you were shot," she smiled.

"You tried to take me home with you," he chided, "I'm a gentleman, I don't put out on the first date."

"Shut up, Cassidy," she replied, giving him a flirty shove. He grabbed her hand and used the opportunity to pull her in and kiss her softly. She responded hungrily for a brief moment before she remembered they were in public.

"Lets get out of here," he replied.

Brian threw some money on the bar before offering Olivia his hand as they headed out onto the street. They walked down the damp street amidst the humidity of the late the spring evening. Olivia leaned into him, wanting to savor their rare time alone together. He sensed she wasn't quite ready to go home and stopped in the middle of the sidewalk to face her.

"I know we were flirting and making jokes back there, but I just want you to know I'm serious. You're it for me, Liv. I love you and your son more than anything," he confessed.

"I was serious too," she whispered back. Brian smiled and rested his forehead against hers for a moment. They quietly exchanged 'I love you's' as the world kept moving around them.

"Will you marry me, Liv?" His voice was raw and vulnerable as he slipped his hand in his pocket to reveal a ring box. She pulled back to look him in the eye and he grinned at her shocked expression. The proposal caught her off guard and his words hung in the heavy night air. It took her a minute to find her voice, overwhelmed by how sweet and pure he looked standing before her on the street outside of their apartment.

"Yes, I'll marry you, Bri," she finally spoke.

He opened the box and held the ring out to her, "The diamond belonged to my Grandma – my mom wanted you to have it when I told her we were talking about marriage."

It was then that she couldn't hold back the tears any longer. He was sweet and thoughtful and she felt like a fool for ever letting him go. The ring was simple and elegant and though she had never considered what type of ring she wanted, it was everything she never knew she needed. It represented their family and their love and their new life. The tears fell faster as he slipped the ring on her finger. She didn't bother to wipe them away, instead she just pulled his face down to hers and kissed him soundly.

"I love you so much," she said when she finally pulled back.

"What do you say we head inside and see if Noah is still awake? It's still kind of early," he smiled.

"Yea, that sounds perfect," she replied as she linked her arm through his.

They quietly entered their apartment to find Noah and Mary on the couch watching a movie together. Olivia instantly felt grateful that Noah would grow up with a grandmother that loved and cared for him. Mary waved to them and gently nudged Noah awake.

"Hi, sweet boy," Olivia said as she peeled her jacket off and sat in the chair, "Guess what?"

Noah slowly climbed off the coach and dragged his blanket over to his mother. She pulled him into her lap and winked at Brian, who had sat down beside his mother.

"What?" he asked.

"Brian asked me to marry him and I said yes," she smiled as she held her hand out in front of Noah to show him the ring. He immediately grabbed her hand and jolted awake. Mary was just as excited as she hugged her son quickly before getting up to hug Olivia as well.

"When are you getting married?" Noah asked excitedly.

"I don't know yet, we have to figure that out still," she explained, "But I think we will do it pretty soon."

"Hey Ma, come sit for a minute," Brian asked, "I want to tell you something else too."

"It better be good news," she warned as she sat beside her son.

"It is Ma, I swear," he laughed, "Olivia and Noah and I have been talking and after we get married, I'm going to adopt Noah."

It was almost too much for Mary; she couldn't speak through the lump in her throat so she hugged Brian tightly.

"Noah, do you know what else that means?" Olivia asked her son.

"No, what?"

"Well if Brian becomes your Dad, that means Mary is your Grandma," she explained. Noah's eyes lit up and she could tell he was ready to bounce off the walls. She considered that maybe she shouldn't have gotten him all riled up so late at night, but then again, this was once in a lifetime. Noah got off Olivia's lap and crossed the room to stand in front of Mary.

"Can I call you Grandma Mary?" he asked shyly.

"Of course you can," she smiled warmly at him and pulled him into her lap to give him a hug. Her kindness didn't go unseen by Olivia, who was enthralled in watching her son. It was better than Christmas; she was giving him something money couldn't buy – a family. Brian made his way over to her and sat on the arm of the chair and put an arm around her. She leaned into him, trying to wipe away the tears of happiness that wouldn't subside.

"Come on buddy, let's get you tucked into bed," Brian said as he reached out a hand to Noah.

When they had disappeared into Noah's room, Olivia moved to sit beside Mary and show her the ring.

"Thank you for trusting me with your mother's diamond," she said, "it's beautiful."

"Thank you for taking such good care of my son," Mary countered with a smile.

"I love him very much," she replied.

x

When Brian returned home, Olivia was propped up in bed reading. He peeled his clothes off and slipped into sweatpants before crawling under the covers. She had removed her glasses and set them aside with her book and was looking at him expectantly.

"What?" he asked.

"We got engaged today," she replied, a little wide eyed and grinning. He sat up and leaned against the headboard beside her.

"Did you ever think we'd make it here?"

"Sometimes I thought so, other times I wasn't sure," she admitted.

"Yeah, I thought the same. This is where I've always wanted to end up though," he smiled.

"I wasn't expecting a ring," she confessed, "but it's beautiful and I am deeply touched that it was your grandmother's diamond."

"You would've loved her, she was stubborn and fearless and tough – just like you," he linked their fingers together admiring how the ring looked on her hand.

"She sounds like a badass," Olivia commented as she grazed her fingertips over the back of his hand.

"What kind of wedding were you thinking about when you told Noah 'soon'?"

"You know I'm not the traditional type," she said with a giggle.

"Oh trust me, I'm well aware," he teased her.

"Just something simple, not a big thing," she suggested.

"Courthouse?"

"Depends, can you pull some strings in the Bronx still?" The words had barely left her mouth before she erupted with laughter at her own joke. Brian tried not to laugh but it was useless in rare moments where she was completely uninhibited.

"Well maybe you can wear nothing except my shirt and we'll invite your whole squad – just like old times," he shot back. Her mouth dropped open and she raised her eyebrows as she shook her head.

"We could always invite Nick – he always seemed like a leg man," she retorted with a grin.

"You have great legs," he smirked as he tickled her thigh under the blankets. She scooted down and rolled onto her side to drape herself across him, closing her eyes and smiling as she took in the moment.

"Thank you," she whispered against his chest, "For loving me even when I made it nearly impossible."

_fin._


End file.
